Closure



May22 1945. I R. B. L'E'ROY 2,376,790

CLOSURE Filed Feb. v26, 1944 \i V 4 I rsaaaam yzz. was,

amen BemisBro CLOSURE I Roy, mum-ms, N. J.,assignor to .-Bag.Company,St. Louis, Mo., a

; mention of Missouri soousauo February as, rm, Serial No. 524,01;

-This invention relates to closures, and with regard to certain morespecific features. toclosures for bag ends and the like.

Among the several objects oif the invention may be noted the provisionof a bag closure which incorporates "an auxiliary trap or guard againstmovement into the bag of moisture and th like which may have penetratedbeyond a cover tape such as in common use; the provision of a closure ofthe class described which protectsthe threads of the sewn seam oftenused for attaching the cover tape, or even when the cover tape is notused: the provision of a seam of the class described which is at tightat its endsas at its mid portions; and the provision of a closure of theclass described which may be partially located and attached to a bag atthe bag factory and which may finally be conveniently closed by a bagpacker after a bag has been filled. Other objects will be in partobvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated one of variouspossible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a paper blank from which the invention isdeveloped;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an end of ted lines the relativeposition of the bag to which" the cuff is applied;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a bag showing at the right, by broken awaylines, a partial attachment of the closure, and at the left showing Ithe closur drawn partially open for loading of the bag by the packer;and,

Fig. a i's a side elevation offs, bag showing completion of the closureembodying the invention, including a cover strip as finally sewn inposition.

' Similar reference characters indicate corre- 0 claim. (or. 229-62) fsponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now more particularly ,to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral Ian elongate blank having diagonally opposite ends tabs 1 and i.

This blankis preferably composed of craft paperv or similar sheetmaterial. It is folded along the parallel lines I, 8, II, I! and I! toproduce, as indicated in Fig. 2, downwardly turned edges or skirts I1and it from theupper edges of lateral panels 2| and II. Panels II and"are joined by intermediate panels 25' and 21 The short legs of thesectional W shape are intermediate its lateralf'longer legs, and theedges i1 and is are turned down with respect to the latter. 9 and ii arecoaxial respectively with the inner edges'of the tabs 3 and 6. Thus isformed a wshaped gusset having upper hooking edges.

Each tab 3 and I forms an extension after folding as indicated atone endby E in Fig. 2. This is folded on a fold line II to enclose the openendof the w-shaped gusset. The extension E is manipulated during folding soas to bring its portion of the depending edge i"l under the dependingedge is associated with the panel 23. This produces the cuff shown inFigs. sand 5, which is in effect a'gusset closed in at its ends andprovided" with an'upper marginal skirt.

'The'cufl is then ready for insertion into'abag end with the marginalportions l1, l9 telescoping outside entirely around the bag. In Fig. 6

the solid lines show'the' cuff of Figs. 4' and 5. The dash lines 29indicate the locations of bag edges between the continuous skirt I1, Iland the gusset parts of the cuff whicharewithin the bag mouth.

In Fig. 'l the mills shown in final position on the right-hand sideofthe bag. The bag manufa'cturer makes a permanent fastening. on this sideof the bag 'by applying anadhesive or the like 30 under one or bothsides of the skirt i1 "sides which reach down preferably about flushwith the lower edges of the turned-down skirt l1, Hi. It is finally sewninto position by means of the stitching passing mu flid opposite sidesof the cover strip, the'skirt I1, is and-the upper portions of thepanels II and a, This sewing does not intersect the shorter intermediateor cenn-al panels 25" and 21. These along with the lower portions of thepanels 2| and as extend down into the bag, thus forming of the gusset anaccordion-shaped trap reaching from corner to corner of the bag toprevent any mol s-, ture which might the seamformed' ingconnection withthe cover strip fromproceeding'nirther into the ba It is to beunderstood that the my be owned without the cover asravoo the bag, andstitching'pas'sing through said skirt sh'ipor adhesivemaybeusedasaclosure with-,

out the cover strip. It would be, applied be-;

tween the upper marginalportionsot'panels N and 28. Or, if desired, thecover strip may be attached by adhesive instead of by stitching. In

any event it may be desirable to dipthegentire seam into wax or otherwaterproofing compound after the bag has been filled and closed. Thisprovides exteriorprotectiom- Since the W-shape of the gusset 2|, 25,1;and" 21 is quite expansive, like. a bellows, the trap is effective inany such expanded condition of the sides of the bag as may-be caused byits filling,

Furthermore, the sealing eflect of thebellows extends'clear to the endof the bag at its corner where the turned-over extensions} 'provide a Acomplete internal guard] throughout the entire periphery of'the bagincluding points adjacent to its comers.

Another advantage of the invention isthe .w-shaped gusset acts as athread protector for the seam when chemicals are packed which areunfriendly to threads. The gusset holds the con-v tents of the bag awayfrom the. threads, particularly if turned over to-apply the weightof thecontentstothegusset It is to be understood that the invention isapplicable to thebottom of a bagas well-as top, in which case the bagmanufacturer completes all 1 operations thereon, since this end of a'bagdoes not require to be left partially openfor filling.

It will also be understood that the gusset,-

forming panels 2|, 2!, 25 and ll may have subif stituted therefor othergussetforming shapes, the primary requisite beingv that there shall beenough loose accordion-like material between the skirts n and Is toprovideforstretching or the closure when the contents ofthe has separateits opposite sides,

Inv view of the above, it be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageousresults attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intendedthat all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted v as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. x

1. A closure for a bag end orthe like comprisiing an expansible gussetstrip portion having an expansible portionand marginal portions, saidexpansible portion being inserted into the bag end to place the marginalportions of the gusset strip inside and adjacent to the marginalportions of the bag, outside skirt portions extending from the marginalportions of the strip and folded to engage the outside marginal portions0! the bag, means for fastening the skirts to said marginal portions ofthe bag. an inverted V: shaped cover strip enclosing said skirts, and

. ti ns P in only through said cover strip.

portions, the'upper portions of said relatively wide panels and throughthe marginal portions of the bag but not through said relatively narrowl5 panels.

3. A-closure' for bags and the like comprising 'an expansible gussetstrip inserted into the end of mo bag, "said'gu'sset strip comprisimgrelatively wideside panels and relatively narrow connectin panelstherebetween, skirt portions extending from the outer edges of said widepanels and engaging the outside marginal portions or the has. aninverted v-shaped coverstrip covering said skirt portions and-e em themouth ofthe bag and .the gusset strip, and stitching passing through theopposite sides of-the'cover strip, the

skirt portions "and only the upper portions of the wide panels.

. 4. A closure for a bag or-likei'tubuiar'article comprisinga cuflhavinga cross section including a gusset-formin part insertable into themouth of the bag andan outer, folded portion located near the edgeof-said mouth, means extending from said folded edge providing adepending skirt engageable with the outside marginal portions "of saidbag, and folded ends forming and portions of the cuff to enclose theends of the gusset, said folded over portionscarrying the skirt portionsaround the corners of the bag mouth, an inverted V-shaped cover stripoverlying said skirt portions and stitching passing through said coverstrip and underlying parts. I 4

5. A one-piece member for forming a bag closure, comprising a strip,tabsat ends of said strip which tabs areoppositelydirectedlongitudinaliy of the strip, each tab being narrower than thewidth of the strip, i'old lines including parts traversing said tabs fordetermining folded skirt portions for outside engagement with themargins of the bag, fold lines in the strip for forming a gusset, eachof which lines is coaxial with an edge of a tab whereby adjacentlylocated panels may be folded to form gusset portions and whereby,

said tabs may be folded around the ends of said gusset portions andagainst'opposite ones of said panels to form a cuff of equal widththroughout.

6. A one-piece member for forming a bag closure, comprising a strip,tabs at oppositediagonal corners of said strip which tabs are oppositelyv tion and against opposite ones of said panels to a directedlongitudinally of the strip, each tab being.

narrower than the width of the strip, fold lines near opposite edgesofsaid strip and respectively traversing said tabsfor-deterniiningskirtportionsto engage the margins of a bag, a fold line I along the centerofthe strip located centralhr between said tabs, and told lines parallelto said central fold line each of which is coaxial with an edge of a tabwhereby adjacentiy located panels may be folded to forms. vgussetportion, and

whereby said tabs after folding down of said skirts may be folded aroundthe ends of said gusset porform a can of equal width'throughout.

' Y RdBERTELEROY.

